Zimpapers Logo

From food drives to blood drives, hosting a donation drive is a charitable way to assist individuals, families, or communities in need.

The Old Mutual Women’s Network (OWN) launched a Donate a Leave Day campaign from December 2020 to January 2021 in response to Covid 19 pandemic. Team members were invited to donate a day as part of a fund-raising drive. The company committed that they match a maximum of one day value for each day donated. The idea being that by donating a day, a staff member would be donating the equivalent of what she would have earned for the day. The more days donated; the more money that was expected to be raised.

The Old Mutual staff were quick to back this initiative and money raised through this initiative has been used to procure basic commodities to assist vulnerable members of the community during these unprecedented times.

OWN is an all-female platform for Old Mutual team members to get together and support each other, to grow and empower themselves and in that way make a real difference in the communities they operate in. The OWN Zimbabwe Chapter has members across Zimbabwe in all the cities Old Mutual and CABS operate in.

OWN money raised to Feed the City Project, a movement powered by the Organisation of Rural Associations for Progress (ORAP.) Feed the City works to maintain a database of beneficiaries in the cities of Bulawayo, Harare and Mutare. Feed the City then ensures that any donations made are handed over to the people in the database and keeps track of who has received what and when. OWN previously supported Feed the City Project. In July 2020, OWN hosted a virtual marathon to raise funds for food assistance for vulnerable Zimbabweans families.  Over 500 participants from across the world participated in the virtual marathon. The proceeds raised were handed over to Feed the City Project to support vulnerable families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

OWN’s campaign distributions led by the Feed the City project recently commenced with  Mutare and Bulawayo distributions with a handover planned for Harare in the near future.

The first distribution took place on 24 March 2021 at the Mutare Prison Farm, where over 500 inmates received essential items like bathing and laundry soap. The pandemic has limited access for inmates to visitors and essential items such as toiletries.

The second handover took place on Friday 9 April at The Celebration Mutare Church Soup kitchen which serves the elderly community (over 60 years) from Sakubva & Federation as well as the homeless community in Mutare. The OWN Donate a Leave day initiative enabled the soup kitchen to provide food hampers to 43 families to sustain them for 30 days.

The third handover was on 10 April 2021 in Ngozi Mine. Food hampers were distributed to 205 households with an average of 4 members, with adequate supplies for 30 days. The mine is located 12 km away from Bulawayo CBD. Feed the City will also conduct door to door food deliveries for households that are food insecure in the Bulawayo area. Thirty households are expected to benefit.

OWN is currently planning a handover for Harare, focused on the elderly and homeless for food sustenance during these uncertain times. “Old Mutual Women’s Network Zimbabwe Chapter will continue to be advocates for community support projects and working together for a better community,” said Kudakwashe Mswaka, OWN Zimbabwe Chapter President.

OWN contributions are part of Old Mutual’s global efforts to assist communities in need of support, aid and relief to meet basic needs. The initiative is promising and looking forward to giving back more to the community.